Golf Fitness with Mike Pedersen part 2

Eric Jones and fitness trainer Mike Pedersen
“In The Gym”

On a trip to the Phoenix area just after winning the World Long Drive Championship for the second time I gave my friend Mike Pedersen a call to see if he would take time from his busy schedule to come work with me on my golf fitness.

Mike was kind enough to agree to meet me in the gym, but only on one condition: that I spend some time with him and his golf game first.

That sounded like a great idea, and we thought we’d film each session and share it.

We had a lot of fun and we each learned some key ideas from the other.

This first video is Mike putting me through my paces in the gym. We had already spent some time on the range, where I worked with Mike on his swing (see the video further down the page). He showed me some really good exercises and some inexpensive ways to get a great workout.

I have Mike’s golf fitness training program – The Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide – and I use many of the exercises he outlines in his program as part of my own fitness training. But there’s nothing like going right to the source when you want an expert opinion.[divider_bar] [/divider_bar]

Eric Jones and fitness trainer Mike Pedersen
“On The Range”

Mike’s Second Lesson: Leverage

In this second video we are learning about the key to effortless power: Leverage.

Here is Mike at his address position. He has a very good set up. I’ve drawn a line from the inside part of his right foot up to his hip. Notice that his right knee is inside the line.

Golf is played on the insides of the feet, not the outside. The knees should be slightly canted in, or knock-kneed, at address. This position helps to reduce lateral motion. We want rotary motion instead – a good pivot rather than a slide.

As he takes his backswing however, his right knee drifts sideways instead of rotating or pivoting.

This is a tendency very common amongst many golfers. When the right knee drifts over the top of his right foot during the backswing, that puts the weight squarely on TOP of the right foot, instead of keeping it on the inside of the foot.

As a result, Mike can get into a position where he can’t initiate the downswing with the lower body by pushing off the right foot to get the weight to the left side.

Swing Issues: “Over-The-Top”, Push Fades, and Slices

This causes two potential issue – also very common.

The first is the “over-the-top” swing – a nemesis for many golfers.

When you can’t start the swing from the ground up, you start from the top down. The shoulders spin, and it feels like the left shoulder goes straight left. The club swings out well on top of the swing plane and comes into the impact position the outside in, causing a pull or pull hook.

Many golfers attempt to treat the over-the-top move directly and wonder why they can’t seem to correct it.

That’s because it is a “symptom” of something else out of position in the swing. The leverage point.

You can’t treat symptoms. You have to go to the root cause.

In this case – keeping the weight on the inside part of the ball of the right foot at the top of the swing, so you can start the swing from the feet.

The second issue that crops up when you lose your leverage position is throwing the hips forward to start the swing. That’s an immediate disconnection which usually results in a blocked shot to the right or even a nasty slice, as it is very difficult to square up the club face at impact. You get a big spine tilt to the back.

Not only does this open up the club face, but it causes a big loss of power because the upper body momentum is actually going backward at impact.

Mike was kind enough to demonstrate it for me, but fortunately that has not been one of his issues.

Nevertheless, the simple loss of the leverage position can cause multiple symptoms to appear.

The key, again, is to treat the root cause, not the symptom.

With just a couple of small adjustments – and an understanding of the proper position a the top of the swing – Mike is able to maintain his leverage position, initiate the downswing with the lower body, maintain his power lines, and deliver maximum energy to the back of the golf ball.

…

The Cure: Leverage Practice

We used a handy bag stand to help Mike get some feedback during his backswing. The goal was to make a swing and not tip the bag stand, while still making a pivot.

Within just a couple of swings Mike got the idea. Perhaps as importantly, he understood the root cause of one of his frequent misses – the shots that cost him several shots a round, not to mention a lot of frustration.

He knows now not to treat the symptom. But rather to understand the root cause. Address the root cause issue, and the symptoms disappear.

All of this information – and much more – is inside my training program “The 5 Keys To Distance.”

Please read more about the program below to find out how to get your own copy.

ABOUT THE 5 KEYS TO DISTANCE

Mastering any one of the concepts, like Athletic Balance, can get you 10 more yards. Students who invest the time and energy to conquer all five have picked up as much as 50 to 60 yards off the tee.

Imagine what a difference 50 yards would make to your game.

If you want to hit the ball farther you need THE 5 KEYS TO DISTANCE. It’s the most comprehensive training program ever developed to maximize your distance – off the tee, and with every club in your bag. Click the links or images to learn how to get yours.

CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS

"Eric, This is superb instruction. Very clear and easy to understand. I have countless books and videos on golf instruction but you are the first person to explain these principles so clearly. I have been struggling for years with hitting from the top and now after watching just a couple of videos I have very clear idea of how to finally overcome it. Thank you very much." Don

"Eric - After the dozens of lessons I have had from accomplished PGA pros and the hundreds of hours I have spent practicing my swing I did not believe I would ever be able to overcome my obsession with the mechanics of the swing. Nor did I believe it was even possible to will myself into “the zone” and, potentially, stay there for long periods in spite of the chaos going on around me. Nor did I believe I could apply the concepts involved in the full swing to every part of my game with ease and immediate results. After reading The Five Keys to Distance and practicing your drills for a few months I now know I was wrong on all counts! Your methods are pure genius!" JM

Hi Eric,
"I wanted to send you a big thanks to your 5 Keys to Distance program. It has done two very important things with my golf. The first is that it has increased my ball flight carry by 10% in only a few weeks. And secondly and the most satisfying is it has given my whole golf game in particular my shots from scoring range (100 yards and closer to the green) pure control with my centered balance. So I can't thank you enough. Your balance drills I do without fail each morning before breakfast, and it will continue to be my daily routine. Without Balance The Club Can Not Swing!! Kind regards." Clayton P.

"Eric, I know you promised me 20 more yards with my driver. I'm actually getting more like 30 yards and sometimes even 50 more yards. But what you didn't mention is the added distance WITH EVERY CLUB IN MY BAG! I'm hitting all my irons at least one club longer, plus I'm really compressing the ball now. It's so much fun! You should tell everyone about this "extra" benefit from your program!" Gerry M.

"Eric, I have to tell you that I’m absolutely delighted with your drills. They make perfect sense to me, and I’m actually enjoying doing them because I can tell intuitively that they will make a real difference. I have for a long time avoided going to the range because I felt that I was simply reinforcing my mistakes. I am going to the range now with quite a different attitude because after only two sessions on the range I can see improvement already. I’m determined to keep up with the drills, and I can tell you that your presentation of them is excellent. I’ve had lots of lessons in the past from some of the best "swing gurus" in the world. But none of them have made a real difference to my swing like you have. I’m very excited now because I can already feel the difference. Best wishes" Jeff W.

“Eric, After several weeks of study and practice on the first section of BLAST the results have been OUTSTANDING! At age 73 my driver length ranged between 175 yards and 210 yards. Now with some extensive training from you the distances are ranging from 220 yards to 255 yards. The 255 yd. distance was achieved after working on the BALANCE, LEVERAGE & ARC WIDTH drills. Thank you for your help. I almost resigned myself to play from the seniors tee or give up golf!” Dick B.

"I just wanted to follow up with you regarding my progress while using your program. After just 3 months I am seeing a lot of new and exciting things happening to my golf swing. I find that I am hitting all of my clubs longer and more squarely than ever before. Every shot I hit now feels like it is hitting the sweet spot and is going very straight. My club head speed use to be about 90 mph now my club head speed is on average 110 mph. The main key for me was increasing my hip speed and reducing my grip pressure. My old swing was very arm dependent and now it feels like I can swing much faster with a lot less effort. Thank you again for your great series." Jorge O.

"Hi Eric, I recently purchased your instructional videos on Long Drive. They are the best golf teaching tool I have ever found. Your explanations of what to do and why are outstanding. I am a structural engineer and have a good understanding of the physics, mechanics and dynamics of the golf swing, so your explanations are especially meaningful to me. At age 63, I am still reasonably fit and strong, and your instructional videos have increased my average distance per club by 15 to 30 yards. Thanks for excellent videos!” Barry

Hi Eric,
"I ordered your book and DVD a few weeks ago and I'm getting a lot out of it! I'm going very slowly, but thoroughly. Thanks very much for writing it. I've read tons of golf books, but no one has ever put as much emphasis on balance and FEELING what the body is doing during the swing. The drills bypass the intellect and force the body to "get it" directly." Pete

"Eric, I received your book yesterday and have been reading it and highlighting ever since. Your book, DVD, and interviews are awesome!! Just what I have been looking for a very long time. I can tell already that I need to build up some stabilizing muscles in my body. Thanks again for your dedicated research and sharing this incredible book with your fellow golfers." Mike P.

“Just want to tell you that I've been doing the drills for a few weeks now, up to the swing arc drills, and am noticing much improvement at the range. I can't wait to take it out to the course. Thanks for simplifying golf instruction for me!" Rick P.

Dear Eric
"Instantly you made the game fun again. The consistency was amazing, both as to direction as well as trajectory and shot shape. Even the sound of the iron shots was much better. Thanks for an exciting round. I love working through all the steps and drills. Greens in regulation are now the rule and not the exception. More distance, less effort, more accuracy, no sore muscles, more fun." Ron G.

"Eric, best investment I've made so far in all the you know whats out there. I played nine and was nailing my tee shots like I haven't seen in ages. I haven't been more encouraged ever." Peter S.

"Eric, You have an uncanny ability to break down the components of the golf swing into simple terms with great clarity. I gain additional insight each time I read your book “5 Keys to Distance” and review this video. Thank you soooo much. When is your next book coming out? Please put me down for the first release." Orson L.